Over 50 use cases developed and implemented across various spheres of the Business
enabling PSPD to expand margin by 230 basis points over last 2 years
• Implementing transformative projects in business areas for strategic cost management and superior product performance
• IoT, advanced analytics, and image analytics are the digital levers ITC PSPD is using to achieve its digital vision
• Digital Transformation Program covers manufacturing, wood plantations, procurement, sales and marketing, sustainability, finance, IT, HR, logistics, among others
• Over 50 use cases have been developed and implemented across various spheres of the Business and enabled PSPD to expand margin by 230 basis points
In line with ITC's focus on accelerating digitalization across businesses, ITC PSPD (Paperboards & Specialty Papers Business), the leading manufacturer of Packaging and Graphic Boards in South Asia, is implementing several transformative projects leveraging Industry 4.0 technologies across key business areas, to enhance productivity, achieve strategic cost efficiencies and superior product performance. Inspired by ITC Chairman Mr. Sanjiv Puri's "ITC Next" Vision for digital transformation across every node of ITC's operations, the Company's Paperboards Business Division is leveraging digital technologies such as IoT, advanced analytics, and image analytics to strengthen its leadership position in the global Pulp, Paper and Paperboard sector. The multi-dimensional digital interventions encompass Industrial IoT for Smart Operations, Integrated Data Infra/ Platform, AI/ML Algos for 'Golden Batches' in the process, AI/ML based Image Analytics and IoT Based Crop Monitoring & Advisory.
ITC PSPD has embarked upon a comprehensive Digital Transformation Program to achieve significant bottom-line benefits and operational excellence. These include manufacturing, pulp-wood plantations, procurement, sales and marketing, sustainability, finance, IT, HR, logistics, etc. It is also collaborating with partners from start-up ecosystems, as well as established solution providers, in building solutions custom-fit to business requirements. These interventions got a significant boost amid the Covid pandemic, which provided further impetus to step up digital transformation. Over 50 use cases have been developed and implemented across various spheres of the Business and enabled PSPD to expand margin by 230 basis points over last 2 years.
Some of the major projects undertaken by ITC PSPD as part of its Digital Transformation Program include - process debottlenecking and throughput improvement for productivity and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) improvement, product quality superiority for process capability improvement and reduction in defects, resource optimization, and imports substitution for variable cost reduction, sustainable agricultural practices for improved field productivity and reduced carbon footprint, ease of doing work for improved productivity and reduced carbon footprint, safety performance, and remote assistance for uninterrupted services from OEMs.
Commenting on the digital acceleration efforts, Mr. Vadiraj Kulkarni, Divisional Chief Executive of ITC Paperboards and Specialty Papers Business said, "ITC PSPD has been catering to diverse value-added packaging requirements of end users across sectors with innovative solutions, carving a unique niche for itself. Over the decades, we have always been early adopters of transformative technologies in the industry, and this has been a source of distinct competitive advantage for us. Accelerating this momentum further, we are now implementing a digital transformation programme across the business led by adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies at scale. I believe this will help us strengthen our competitiveness even further, improve efficiencies through productivity enhancement and enable us to craft superior and differentiated products and solutions for our consumers, further cementing our leadership in the Paperboards and Specialty Papers Business."
The company in its endeavour to strengthen to drive digital innovation and reap more benefits is also actively pursuing initiatives to develop future-ready digital skills among managers and the larger workforce to make them more digital-savvy. This is over and above the constitution of the in-house Industry 4.0 Centre of Excellence (ICoE) to foster digital transformation across the company. These interventions are enabling ITC PSPD to adopt digital innovations ahead of the industry by improving data connectivity and transparency across the value chain and by easing up the generation of actionable insights to improve the excellence levels and drive benefits.
ITC PSPD's digital projects complement the Company's ongoing initiatives focused on import substitution by promoting an indigenous wood-based value chain anchored on a large-scale afforestation programme, capacity building, innovation, among others, and in the process, contribute to the country's 'Make in India' vision. ITC PSPD is the market leader in the value-added paperboards segment and has a niche position in high-end fine papers. With an emphasis on harnessing state-of-the-art technology, R&D, and sustainable manufacturing practices, the company has also emerged as the largest manufacturer of Packaging and Graphic Boards in South Asia.
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